The Color Crimson's Curse
by Merky15
Summary: Sesshomaru's decisiveness to kill his enemies had become quite a useful trait, but after a particular incident, a young girl swears her revenge. So, why hasn’t he finished her off yet? What lays behind Sesshomaru’s seemingly emotionless disposition?
1. Ambition for Death

**Kay, so as everyone says: I do not own any of Takahashi's characters, but I do own my own and the story itself. Now that that is over with i hope you all enjoy the story. And remember to please comment on the story :)**

**Ambition for Death**

The demon carried a cold expression. Looking into his eyes simulated death, or the thought of death. His expression was unreadable but his presence caused the sensation of your senses to peak, as if your life was in danger. His claws were freshly glazed with a crimson liquid. His unfortunate victim fell to the ground with a look of horror spread across his face. A thud was made, but the demon's glare wasn't focusing on his victim. His eyes were locked onto the eyes of another.

The demon's eye's turned from a dark deadly red into an equally cold glare of gold. His long locks of white were being blown by the night's gentle breeze. The unfortunate spectator's eyes remained transfixed on the demon's. The on looker was paralyzed not so much from fear but from shock. After a few seconds a loud scream filled the air. A scream filled to the brim with anger and pain…

The young girl quickly jumped up from her slumber in a cold sweat. She had that dream again. The dream of the cold eyed demon. The young demon girl's large ruby colored eyes were wide in shock. Her black mid length hair was roughly thrown over the young girls eyes. She tried to calm herself, but her heartbeat continued to beat at a ridiculously high rate. She took a few deep breaths and looked up to the sky. Yes, the sun would rise soon, in perhaps an hour.

The young girl rose. She wore a white and grey armor. It fit the girl awkwardly, but she had grown accustomed to it's weight. Her ragged clothes were underneath, a white top and dark blue ankle high pants. A large sword fell to her side. The sword was almost to large for her to control, but time made her almost comfortable with it.

She came to a river and knelt in for a drink. The ankle bracelet she wore made a soft clinking noise as she did so. She wiped her mouth clean from the liquid, and stared at her reflection in the water. How many years had she been on her journey now? The thought crossed her mind as she saw the changes in her face. She was no longer that small child who was scared at the face of the cold eyed demon. It must have been at least three years now, or almost. She was eleven now and her strength had definitely increased throughout the years.

The somber faced child closed her eyes and rose. She continued to walk through the forest. A task that would be considered dangerous for anyone else her age, but years of solitude had taught her that she was much stronger than any ordinary children her age.

Thought of the dream plagued her mind and served in reanimating her hatred; the very thing that kept her moving, even now. It was so vivid and so accurate. This demon, this horrid beast, was what kept her alive. The thought of revenge and his death swarmed through her mind. It had become her sole ambition in life.

"_The dreams must meant that I'm getting close_" she thought. A thought based more on a child's hopes versus any accurate premonition.

She had searched the lands for the illusive demon for a while now. Through her journey she learned that he was well known among demon world and so to was his reputation as a powerful warrior and fast traveler. He never had a particular destination and would go wherever he pleased. Many demons had commented that he's similar to the wind in that aspect, but to her all it meant was that he was quite illusive.

For years she had searched for this demon, and every so often she would be successful in finding him. In her every success there was also failure. Not once had she conquered the demon's life. He would easily defeat the girl and leave. She would always watch on the floor in defeat, trying to rise to follow him and always being unsuccessful in catching him.

He would never kill her, which was an insult to her pride and honor. It was almost as if he didn't find her worthy of killing. Instead he would let her live with her shame, with her constant defeat. Most demons she spoke to would tell her to consider herself lucky that the fierce demon did not conquer her life and that she should give up on her quest.

Of course, this was something that she would never be able to do. She had a duty to kill this demon, and the dream only engraved this point deeper. If years of traveling had taught her anything it had been that many underestimated her abilities because she was a young girl.

He must be close by, and this time she would be sure to make the demon suffer as he had made her suffer, as he had made hundreds or thousands suffer. She would be the one to put an end to the supposed Great Lord Sesshomaru.

She saw a path through the forest in the distance, and decided that talking to others about the demon's whereabouts would be a good idea. Her heart was still beating at a fast pace whenever the image of Sesshomaru's glare came into her mind.

She was confident in her resolve to want him dead, but she was not a fool. She knew that Sesshomaru's strength far outreached hers, but that wasn't the point. It didn't matter if she was killed while fighting this demon. What mattered was that she would continue to try. She didn't rely on Sesshomaru letting her live. For all she knew she would no longer be spared, but the thought of killing Sesshomaru still rang fresh in her mind.

She made it to the path and began to travel down towards what looked like a human village. She didn't care much for humans, but she would fit in well enough. Besides her red eyes, and pointed ears she appeared human enough. She hadn't been in this territory for awhile now, and they might have information on the dog demon's location.

A look of determination fell over the young girls eyes. This would be their last encounter. This would be the last time she faced Sesshomaru. One of them would be killed. She would put an end to this. She owed him that much.

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**Tune in to the story, I'll be putting the next chapter up soon. Please comment on what you're thinking. It really does mean a lot when you do. PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**Thanks, Much Love,**

**Merky15**


	2. The Other Dog Demon

**The Other Dog Demon**

The young girl headed towards the human village. By the time she had arrived the sun had already risen. She hoped that she could receive information about the dog lord. Hopefully he was in the area, and while it was rare for him to associate near of around humans, it was always better to play it safe. Who knew, maybe someone at the village had heard rumors of his whereabouts.

She noticed a group of farmers heading towards their crops and she called after them, "Excuse me"

The first farmer looked at the strange girl, "Well, who are you?"

She hated dealing with humans. She could have easily killed them, and yet they always assumed her to be an ordinary child, "I am a traveling warrior and…"

The second farmer laugher at the comment, "You? You're just a child. You ain't old enough to be outside by yourself let alone be considered a warrior"

"Look old man!" she growled, "I have an important task and I don't have time…"

The group of farmers laughed louder at this comment. The girl tightened her fists at her side. She could just kill them all, but then she wouldn't get the answers she needed. She took a deep breathe to control her anger and spoke, "I just have a few questions"

The first farmer wiped a tear from his eyes before speaking, "What kind of question, girly?"

She hated that word, but said nothing. "I'm seeking out a dog demon, have any of you heard of one around these parts?"

"Dog demon?" a different farmer scratched his head, "Long white hair?"

The girls eyes widened. Could this be it? Could she have finally found him? "YES!" she shouted, "Where is he ?"

The second farmer pointed to a small hut with his farming utensil, "Sleeping with his friends in that there hut. They helped us slay a demon last night, so we gave them housing for the night"

The girl crossed her arms in disbelief, "He helped you…slay a demon…? Are you sure?"

The first on nodded, "Sure did. He had a powerful sword, and slayed the demon down. I saw it myself"

She heard rumors of Sesshomaru finding a new sword, but the situation didn't sound right. "Thank you" she nodded to the men.

She headed towards the hut that they pointed at. Her heart began to pound. Sesshomaru was inside and there battle would be decided. She unsheathed her large sword and took a few deep breaths. She tightened her grip. It would be decided today. It would be their last encounter, "COME ON OUT YOU DIRTY DOG!"

She heard something stir inside and continued, "Today will be the day you die at my hands!"

The door flew open and someone stepped out. The man had long white hair…but he also had dog ears on his head. He wore a red robe, and didn't seem as sophisticated as the dog she was pursuing. No, it wasn't him. Also, on further inspection she noticed that he was a half breed.

The half demon looked around for the cause. His eyes widened when he noticed that the one who made the threats was much shorter than he anticipated. "You're the one yelling? You little brat"

The girl lowered her sword a little, "Shut up half breed. I happen to be a powerful warrior"

"You?" he mocked.

"That's right. I am the demon Korika!"

A group of three humans exited after the half demon and a small fox. A girl with a short green kimono was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, "What's going on Inuyasha?"

"This little brat, just challenged me to a fight"

"Stop calling me a brat, half breed" Korika yelled.

A fist landed on top of the young demon girl's head. Korika fell to the floor, rubbing her head in aggravation. Kagome elbowed Inuyasha in the ribs "Leave her alone. She's just a kid"

Korika found her sword, and pointed it towards the group, aggravated when no expression seemed to change. Kagome smiled down at her, "So…how about breakfast?"

* * *

"Thank you" Korika looked at the girl, Kagome, after taking a bite into her roasted fish. Kagome nodded, "No problem. How about you explain what's going on Korika"

"It's simple enough. I've been hunting down a dog demon and when I heard there was one in this village I assumed it was Inuyasha"

"Heh" Inuyasha crossed his arms, "Maybe next time you should get your story straight"

Korika growled at the half demon at her side, "Look, I already said sorry"

Miroku took a sip of the tea Kagome had prepared, "You are very young to be going on such a perilous journey"

Korika nodded, "I've been traveling by myself since I was eight. It is my duty to find and kill this demon"

Kagome almost gasped, "But you're so young"

Korika rolled her eyes, "I'm not as helpless as I may appear"

"Yeah, you proved that today" Inuyasha mocked. Korika's hands fisted, "You took a cheap shot. I'll make sure that dog dies when I see him again!"

"What! So you've seen him before and let him get away? Sounds to me like you're pretty useless"

"Inuyasha, sit" Kagome rolled her eyes. Honestly, when would he learn?

Korika looked at Inuyasha fall to the floor, a bit shocked, "You don't see that every day"

Shippo looked at the girl, who he couldn't help think was pretty. It wasn't often he saw a demon girl around his age. "So Korika. Why do you want to kill this Dog Demon?"

Korika looked down into her lap, "Well, when I was younger the demon…he killed my father"

"That's terrible!" Kagome shot. Korika nodded, "My father was a strong demon, but he wasn't the kind to start fights. I returned from gathering wood to find the demon standing over my dead father…" her voice shook as she spoke of the scene. She could remember the piercing eyes the demon had.

"I'm sorry" Sango sighed. She knew what Korika must be feeling. The young girl shook her head, "Don't be. It is my pain to bear. I have sworn it to my father and myself that I would find and kill Sesshomaru"

Korika didn't notice the white faces the group now had and continued, "He is hard to track down and whenever I do find him…the bastard escapes"

Korika looked at the ghost like faces, "Is something wrong" no one answered. She smiled when an idea came into her head, "Do you know him? Then you can tell me where I could find him"

"Well…" Kagome started, "we know him, but…"

"But what?…"

Shippo looked at the silent faces and spoke up, "Inuyasha is Sesshomaru's younger brother…"

"What?" she worded out, "you-you are related to him?"

"Not by choice…" Inuyasha grunted in annoyance.

She quickly jumped up, "Then I have no choice. I will have to kill you Inuyasha"

"Don't be stupid!" Inuyasha crossed his arms with a spat.

"I will get my revenge" Korika continued, "Even if that means by killing his younger brother. Maybe if he sees your dead body he'll search me out"

Miroku smiled nervously, "Actually, you're way off on that one…"

"Enough! Draw your sword Inuya-"

Another fist landed on Korika's head. She fell to the floor and looked up to see Inuyasha, "Try that again, and you'll walk away with more than a lump to the head…"

"Don't patronize me half breed"

"LISTEN!" Inuyasha yelled, "Consider yourself lucky that Sesshomaru hasn't killed you yet. My advice is to forget about your revenge on him. You keep pestering him like this and I guarantee he'll eventually kill you!"

Korika stared into Inuyasha's eyes with gritted teeth, "Shut up! I made a promise to kill Sesshomaru" she rose and sheathed her sword, "I will never quit and if you get in my way I will kill you as well"

She turned away from the group and ran away into the forest, disappearing into the foliage. Inuyasha and the others watched with sad expressions. "Poor Korika" Shippo sighed, "You can't blame her for wanting revenge"

Inuyasha turned away from the forest and crossed his arms, "I'm surprised Sesshomaru hasn't killed her already"

Kagome placed her finger's to her chin, "You don't suppose it's because he feels bad about killing her father…"

Inuyasha scoffed, "Yeah right. Sesshomaru feel bad for someone else? That prick probably doesn't want to waste his 'pure' blood on such a weak opponent"

"Still" Sango started, "Korika seems set on killing Sesshomaru. I hope she doesn't get hurt. Your brother is around the area"

Miroku nodded at the slayer at his side, "Don't worry yourself Sango. I'm sure she'll be fine…"

Sango's eyes widened when she noticed something crawl down her spine. She jumped up and landed a slap across the monk's face, "Pervert!" she yelled as Miroku landed on the floor.

* * *

"_That scent again_" he thought to himself as he looked at the forest below. He stood on a cliff waiting for his other companions to reach him. After a short second a green imp came into view, "Lord Sesshomaru?"

The imp was pulling the reigns of a two headed dragon. A young girl rode on its saddle. Sesshomaru turned to the two behind him, "We are going"

"Where to M'lord?" the imp asked. He watched as Sesshomaru turned around and headed back the way they had came. It was apparent that his master wasn't going to answer his question. The imp let out a sigh and turned around to follow his Lord. Where were they headed now?

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There's chapter 2. I hope this story picks up soon, since no one is yet reading it. Anyway if you do read it, thank you and please review

**Much Love,**

**Merky15**


	3. A Chance for Redemption

**A Chance for Redemption **

Korika continued through the forest. It was night now and her entire day of searching was starting to prove futile. She stopped and looked around the forest she was traveling in. She was getting a strange feeling. Something wasn't right about this forest. It felt like a strange aura surrounded it. She gave a quick surveillance, and looked back ahead of her. She ignored her feeling and pushed on through. Somehow she was confident that Sesshomaru was up ahead.

"_This time" _She thought to herself, "_This time I'll finish it"_

A voice from up ahead is what stopped her. It wasn't Sesshomaru's, but she recognized it nonetheless. She stayed behind a tree and listened in, her ear turned towards the voice's direction.

"How much longer does he expect us to wait here?" the first voice sighed.

Korika recognized the voice. She peaked her head towards the scene and proved her suspicions. It was Sesshomaru's vassal. That annoying green Imp, Jaken, she believed. She took another look and found Sesshomaru was absent.

A new voice answered the imp, "Why are you sighing Master Jaken? Lord Sesshomaru said he'd come back to us"

Korika looked back at the new voice. "_Who is she?" _Korika thought.

She was a human girl. She was young, younger than her even. Why did she say Lord Sesshomaru? Could that human be traveling with that dog? Korika pondered these questions.

Jaken rolled his eyes and sent the child a cold glare, "I'm not worrying that he'd abandon me Rin!" he shot, "I just can't stand being stuck…here!" he glared exceptionally hard at the child with the last word.

The child gave an innocent blink and smiled, "What's wrong with this spot Master Jaken? There are plenty of flowers around"

Korika subconsciously smirked at the girl's, Rin's, comment. She was oblivious to the imp's true meanings. She appeared to be an innocent human girl. So why would Sesshomaru have any use for her?

Jaken turned away from Rin and let out a sigh, which signaled that he had given up with their conversation.

Korika kneeled against the tree in thought. The two obviously had no idea she was there. That was good. Sesshomaru was sure to return to his friends. Why had he left them anyway? She tried to think of her next plan of action. She could just attack the fools, kill them, maybe the scent of their blood will send Sesshomaru back faster. She shook the idea away. Somehow killing a child didn't sit well with her.

She pulled her legs into her chest. It had started to get cold and making a fire was out of the question. She looked over her shoulder at Sesshomaru's crew and back ahead, _"I'll just have to wait him out. When he returns I'll be ready for him"_

Korika sat waiting. She fought back the urge to close her eyes. It had been about an hour and Sesshomaru hadn't yet returned. She couldn't help but wonder what he was doing. What would cause him to leave his companions so unprotected?

Another hour had gone by and the two behind her grew silent. She figured the child fell asleep. She really had been the only one talking after all. Korika's eyes soon grew too heavy for her to keep them open. She let them close, but was wise enough not to go to sleep. Sesshomaru would arrive soon and she needed to be on her guard.

She quickly opened her eyes to the sound of footsteps. They came from behind her. Could it have been Sesshomaru? She stopped breathing for a moment….was Sesshomaru there? If so he most likely knew she was there, he could smell her out. She rose, very slowly, and held her hand to her large sword. She peaked her head from behind the tree to see if it was indeed Sesshomaru's footsteps.

What she saw sent her a few feet back in surprise. It was Sesshomaru, and he was standing right in front of her. In fact her face nearly bumped into his armor.

Korika jumped back, putting distance between the two. He didn't change his position or expression. He seemed in complete composure, something that always angered her about him. She stared a few seconds, not surprised that he didn't speak.

So, she would have to "_break the ice"_ as they say. "You know why I'm here" she spoke with as much ferocity she could manage. It didn't faze the lord. He stared at her the same way.

Korika gritted her teeth, "I'm here for my revenge!"

Again he said nothing, he simply stared at her. It was at this time that the imp had awoken. He lazily walked towards the lord whipping the sleep from his eyes, "What is going on M'Lord…" he stopped when he noticed Korika, "WHAT? You again!" he pointed at her angrily, "Have you not learned you lesson yet girl? Stop meddling in our affairs!"

Sesshomaru's eyes turned over his shoulder. Korika sent him a curious glare. What was he looking at? She followed his gaze and saw that it was on the now awaking Rin. The loud mouth fool had woken her up.

Rin blinked her eyes into focus. A large smile fell on her face when she saw Sesshomaru, "Welcome back Lord Sesshomaru"

Sesshomaru immediately turned back to Korika. Rin leaned her head over to see what Sesshomaru was busy with. She saw Korika. Sesshomaru spoke in a calm voice, "Stay where you are Rin"

She nodded slowly, "Okay"

Korika unsheathed her sword. Sesshomaru did not repeat the action. Korika growled at this and pointed the blade in his direction, "I said, I'm here for my revenge"

His eyes slanted down slightly and Korika gave a subconscious flinch. Damn it, why was she so scared? His voice was firm when he spoke. "I do not have time for you"

Not what she expected to hear. She opened her mouth to rebuttal, but he began to walk off. No, she would get her revenge today! "It was not a request, Sesshomaru!"

This time the imp answered, "Did you not hear my Lord? Stop pestering us and leave before Lord Sesshomaru…"

Sesshomaru stopped, "Enough Jaken…"

The imp stopped in middle of his sentence, "Yes, M'Lord"

The dog turned his head to Korika. She stepped into a fighting stance, "You will fight me Sesshomaru. This will be our final battle"

He said nothing and did nothing. He just continued to stare at her. So, he wasn't going to throw the first punch…fine, then she would. Korika lunged towards Sesshomaru with her sword, and he immediately stepped out of its range, almost too easily. She swung at him again, and again she missed. She continued her blind swings, allowing them to get more and more wild, "FIGHT ME!" she yelled.

Sesshomaru jumped away from the girl. Korika already began to sweat, and Sesshomaru stood unchanged. She panted angrily, "Damn it! Stop running and fight!"

"I already told you…" he spoke, sounding annoyed that he had to repeat himself, "I have no time to deal with you"

"Then make time!" she lunged for him again. She didn't care if it didn't work. She needed to try. She needed to kill him now or die in the process. This time he didn't move, he stood still. Korika jumped towards him bringing her sword down, when something hit her in the chest.

Sesshomaru had sent a small blast from the Tokijin into the girl, simply by placing his hand on the hilt of the sheathed sword. The small blast was enough to send Korika skidding across the floor and coming in contact with the base of a hard tree. She pulled herself up with some difficulty. What hurt the most was her pride. Sesshomaru wasn't even trying.

She grabbed her sword that fell to her side and lifted herself up. She began to move and eventually she picked up enough speed to run. She held her sword with one hand, ready to run Sesshomaru through with it.

Sesshomaru's whip was sent the girls way and hit Korika's hand. It did very little damage, but stung with the impact. Korika's sword sent flying as it did so. "FATHER'S SWORD!" she yelled as she watched it land far off.

As she turned away Sesshomaru allowed another mild blast of the Tokijin to hit Korika in the chest. It was slightly stronger this time, and Korika broke through the tree's trunk. Her chest hurt, and breathing was hard. She pondered if he broke her rib. She tried to rise, and found difficulty doing so. She fell into the remainder of the tree, and turned to face Sesshomaru.

Her eyes widened in shock when she noticed that Sesshomaru was walking away. "STOP!" she yelled.

He didn't stop.

"I said Stop!" she called again, "Finish it!" she yelled, "Finish me off Sesshomaru!"

He gave no answer and continued in his walking. The small child, Rin, was ridding on the two headed dragon and the imp was following behind. Rin sent Korika a sympathetic and curious look before turning back to her master. Sesshomaru began to fade away in the distance…Korika had missed her chance.

* * *

Korika lay down a little further away in the forest. She was correct in assuming that a rib or two was busted, but luckily she was a demon and the injuries were starting to heal. "Who was that kid?" she asked herself.

She was lying on the grass, the sun would rise soon and she would continue her journey when it had. "Why would a cold hearted demon like Sesshomaru let a child follow him? It doesn't make any sense…"

She paused in her thoughts. It was there again. That strange forlorn feeling that pulled down on her. It wasn't a natural feeling and it had occurred again ever since she entered this place. There was something strange about this forest. She let her mind wander, "_Is that why he's staying so close to this forest? Is there something of interest here? He could have easily avoided me if he wanted to…so he's here for a reason…what?"_

She let her eyes close. She wouldn't be able to continue her search early like she wanted to. She needed her rest. Her eyes closed. When she woke up she would be in less pain and she could search him out again

* * *

"Who was that girl Master Jaken?"

It was early in the morning, and Sesshomaru and company were walking through the same forest again. Sesshomaru looked intent to find something, and traveled farther up ahead of the others. Jaken looked to Rin to answer her question, "Some demon brat"

Rin walked holding, Ah-Un's reigns, "I mean how does she know Lord Sesshomaru? And why does she want revenge?"

"You and your questions…" Jaken scolded

"Please Master Jaken" she practically begged, "I promise not to ask so many questions" she held up her hand to emphasize her promise, placing the other over her heart. Jaken let out a loud sigh, "Fine"

He turned to look at the young girl, who was eager for the story, "It was about three years ago I believe…"

_

* * *

_

Jaken quickly scuttled across a valley towards Sesshomaru. He stopped when he reached his master's side, "There you are M'Lord. I thought I lost you for a moment…"

_He stopped and looked down to Sesshomaru's feet. A freshly killed demon was thrown on the floor. A thick hole was made in his gut. "Excellent kill M'Lord" Jaken smiled, "I'm sorry to have missed it"_

_Sesshomaru paid Jaken no heed; instead his eyes were locked to his side. The imp followed his stare and saw that it fell to the forest's entrance, to a few bushes and trees. _

"_What is it M'Lord?"_

_Sesshomaru's eyes, which were crimson at the time, turned back to their usual amber. He was watching something and most likely decided it wasn't a threat of any kind, but then again who could really threaten Sesshomaru?_

_A small voice was heard, but couldn't be made out with normal ears. The voice came again, but this time louder, "NOOOOOOOO!"_

_Something quickly ran from out of the bushes that Sesshomaru was transfixed on. Jaken noticed that it was a young girl, seven or maybe eight. "FATHER!" she yelled. She fell onto the corpse with tears running down her face. "No! No! Father! Father! Don't die, Please don' t die!" her voice sounded desperate._

_Jaken watched the scene, and quickly looked up to see his Lord's reaction. As usual there was none. But why should there be? Why would the mighty Lord Sesshomaru take pity on this girl? After all, the demon most likely deserved his fate. He probably thought he could get away with insulting Lord Sesshomaru._

_Sesshomaru stood watching the scene for a few seconds, before he turned to leave. Jaken quickly followed._

_The girl stopped her desperate calls, and looked at the leaving demon. "You…" she spoke coldly, "You killed my father…"_

_Sesshomaru stopped walking. Jaken looked at his Lord, confused at his action. Did he not know that the girl would most likely throw insults or try to kill him? Not that she could, of course._

_The girl continued, "You killed my father, didn't you?"_

_Sesshomaru gave no answer. The small child rose. Her hands fisted to her side; covered with the blood of her dead father, "DIDN'T YOU!"_

_Sesshomaru looked over his shoulders, his cold glare still present, "I did" he spoke simply. _

_Tears still ran down the girls face, and her father's blood was now stained on her white kimono. "I…I'll kill you!" she leaped towards the dog, but was easily side stepped. The small girl continued trying to land a hit on Sesshomaru. _

_After a few moments of this, a fist landed on the small child's face. She was sent flying back towards her father. Jaken pointed at the girl with a smug smirk. "Serves you right for trying to attack Lord Sesshomaru! Consider yourself lucky that you were spar…"_

_Sesshomaru stepped on the imp while he was in mid sentence and walked away. Jaken quickly jumped up and scurried after him. The girl stayed in her spot, growling at the demons. Tears still covered her face, "I'LL KILL YOU!" she yelled after him, "I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL YOU ARE DEAD!"_

* * *

Rin looked down contemplating Jaken's tale, "So, Lord Sesshomaru killed Korika's father, and she wants revenge?" she was all too familiar with how it felt to lose a loved one. Jaken nodded, "That foolish girl continues to try to fight Lord Sesshomaru, but every time she is put in her place…" he closed his eyes in a proud way. "I'm not sure why Lord Sesshomaru doesn't just put an end to her once and for all, but I'm sure the next time Lord Sesshomaru won't think twice about…"

A fist landed on Jaken's head, and Sesshomaru was seen walking off again. Rin leaned down placing her hands to her knees to get a better look at Jaken, "I suppose Lord Sesshomaru doesn't approve of you evaluating him"

Jaken spoke, still a little dizzy on the floor, "You…Don't say…"

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Again, sorry it took so long to put this one up. Just know that I do have a direction of where I'm headed with this story, so it's not like I'm just making it up as I go along.

**Please leave me your reviews, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE…!**

**Thanks for reading and much love,**

**Merky15**


	4. The Art of Nightmares

**The Art of Nightmares **

Korika awoke in the late afternoon. The sun would set soon, and her day was lost. She rose annoyed with her predicament. She hadn't intended to sleep for as long as she did, and now there was a chance that Sesshomaru could be long gone.

She rose from the grass bedding. There was still difficulty in doing so, much to her dissatisfaction. This meant that her bones hadn't mended as fast as she would have hopped. She swallowed her pain and pressed on through the forest.

A single thought kept her hopes up. Sesshomaru was in this forest for a reason. He was looking for something or someone. If he hadn't located it yet then he would still be somewhere in the near vicinity. Perhaps she would find the prick sooner than she thought.

The forest had a strange silence, but Korika had enough confidence in her abilities not to let it faze her. She had a mission to adhere to after all. Still, ever since she had arrived in this forest there was definitely an uneasiness there. It felt as if someone was watching her, and the feeling pulled her into a frightened morose state. She could feel the color draining from her face. Now the feeling grew stronger. Something was watching her. Something was close by.

She stopped walking as a strange chill ran through her body. A deep voice called to her, "What are you doing here girl?" the voice sound darkly indifferent.

Korika turned around at the sound, and found no one, "Whose asking?"

A man suddenly appeared behind Korika. He had long straight black hair, and bright violet eyes. His black kimono was marked with the imprints of quarter silver moons. There was something different about this man. He took a step towards the young girl to answer her question, "I am…"

Korika quickly stepped back as the man approached, "And you are you?" her hand fell over her swords hilt. She pretended not to notice the pounding in her chest.

The man had a very calm face. He carried a blade on his back. The blade curved in like the moons on his kimono. He looked into Korika's nervous eyes. She hid her fears pretty well, but he knew they were there. The demon let out a deep breath and a strange purple fog came out.

Korika jumped away, but the fog spread out. "What are you doing?"

"Do not worry" he spoke in a calming voice, "It will all be over soon…"

Korika's eyes grew heavy. She tried to fight against the feeling, but the smoke was too powerful. She didn't want to sleep again, she didn't want to dream again. Her attempts to fight it proved futile. Korika fell.

* * *

Sesshomaru arrived in the forest following a familiar scent. He had been monitoring this vicinity for a few days now after he picked up the faint scent of his current prey, Naraku. The scent had appeared again, and upon further inspection of the demon's aura he ordered Jaken to stay behind with Rin.

Sesshomaru's light footsteps came to a halt. He looked up, knowing the demon was hiding in the tree's foliage. He pulled out his Tokijin awaiting for the demon to make his move.

The demon appeared, "I had been expecting you. You must be Lord Sesshomaru"

Sesshomaru stared at the demon above. "You are one of Naraku's incarnations" he stated not needing an answer.

A faint smirk fell on the demon's lips, "I knew you would follow my scent and search me out. I'm sorry it took so long, but I needed time to build my strength"

Sesshomaru let his gaze slowly fall to his left. He saw a young girl unconscious on the floor. He recalled her face…..he heard the girl's pulse and knew she was alive.

The demon followed Sesshomaru's gaze, "You'll soon be sharing that young girl's fate"

Sesshomaru saw the girl squirm in pain. She gritted her teeth in an attempt to fight back tears. This demon must have been manipulating her somehow.

Sesshomaru's attention left Korika when he noticed the demon slowly began to exhale a purple smoke. Sesshomaru immediately decided that it was the cause of the girl's current predicament. He jumped away from the fog, but it continued to spread out. A large blast from the Tokijin is what cleared it away.

When the blast subsided the demon stood next to the squirming girl. "I was told you were a very powerful demon" he smirked slightly, noting the Tokijin's devastating blast.

Sesshomaru made no answer and continued to watch the incarnation. The man spoke following Sesshomaru's silence. "Still, you're strength will not serve you here. You see I have a very unique ability. I cause nightmares" he looked down at the squirming Korika, "Nightmares are such beautiful things. Ones regrets, despairs, doubts, they live deep within our minds and hold the potential to consume us should one permit it. Nightmares bring it all to life, all the pain we do not wish to acknowledge. Being destroyed from something that oneself had created. It's poetic in a way."

Sesshomaru's glare tightened on the demon ahead, "Is that what you intend? To pull me into a nightmare?" the thought was ridiculous. He would never succumb to such a thing. It was a foolish plan, even for Naraku.

"You speak as if it can not be accomplished"

"I hold no such regrets"

The demon smirked again, "So you say, but all beings hold some form of despair. You Lord Sesshomaru, are no different"

The demon leaned over the young girl, "Once the nightmares begin to take effect it leaves the soul weak" he placed his hand to the young girl's forehead, "It is at that time when the soul can be devoured. This child, I knew she would be a perfect specimen"

Sesshomaru continued to watch the demon. The man slowly leaned down closer to the girl, "A perfectly tortured soul such as this is indeed a rarity, but they are indeed the most sustaining"

The demon began to inhale over Korika, and a type of smoke came from out of the girl's mouth. Unfortunately for the demon, Sesshomaru's whip cut the moment short. The demon quickly jumped out of the way, "I had no idea you were so sentimental. You don't want me to harm the child?"

"It has nothing to do with that" Sesshomaru shot, "I just don't have the luxury of waiting for you to finish your next meal"

The demon smirked, "So I see. Well than let us get started"

Sesshomaru's hand moved to unleash another blast, and the demon quickly stepped out of the way. Purple smoke began to emanate around the area again. It came from all directions, and the source had disappeared in the foliage again. His chuckle broke out as he looked down at Sesshomaru. The smoke was surrounding him. "There is no way you can overcome this, Lord Sesshomaru. Resign yourself to me and I will make your death quick"

Sesshomaru ignored the comments and continued to eliminate the smoke with his Tokijin. The demon continued, "You seem so well composed, I wonder what your nightmare's essence will be. You're soul must be deliciously tortured"

The demon's voice was growing quite irksome. Sesshomaru looked down towards Korika. The smoke's effect was still affecting her. She began to cough violently and her squirming increased. Again, Sesshomaru blasted through the smoke.

Sesshomaru tired to catch the demon's scent, but while it was there, it was unable to pinpoint despite Sesshomaru's keen nose. The demon's voice was also hard to locate since it sounded like it was coming from everywhere.

"Enough of this stalling" the demon called from above, "You will fall now Lord Sesshomaru"

The amount of smoke increased again, and while Sesshomaru used Tokijin as an attempt to disperse the smoke. The amount was far too great, and some of it was inhaled.

The dog demon pressed on, and continued to try to disperse the remainder of the smoke. He ignored the feelings of dread that started to consume him. Feelings, which he was so unfamiliar to began to tug at his heart, his soul. He knew that it was a side effect from the smoke and was used to enhance one's _nightmares_ as the demon had said.

Sesshomaru looked around for the demon's scent and tried to lock on to the chuckling that broke out, but again they could not be pinpointed. He stood standing for a while, and fought the heaviness his body was beginning to feel. His eyes grew heavy, and the Tokijin fell from his hand. He growled and his eyes gleamed red as he tried to fight off the smoke with the rest of his demonic strength. He heard faint voices that he knew were from the inside of his head. He then heard a pulse from the Tensaiga. He listened as the pulse continued. It was then he noticed that it was in perfect rhythm with another pulsing sound. He listened on as the sword pulsed. He slowly fell to his knees, and his eyes grew heavier. He slowly fell to the nothingness listening to the two pulses. It was then he recognized the second beat. It was the sound of his own heart….

* * *

"So, do you think Sesshomaru and Korika met up yet?" Kagome turned to Miroku. The group had been heading down the path in their search for Naraku. Inuyasha walked up ahead. They had been walking since the crack of dawn, under Inuyasha's orders, and were far away from the forest they had left Korika at.

Miroku shook his head at Kagome's question, "I have no idea" he looked ahead at Inuyasha in an exaggerated way, "Perhaps if _someone_ would be kind enough to sniff her out we could see to young Korika's well being…"

Inuyasha couldn't help but get annoyed. The entire day all he had been hearing was everyone talking about 'Poor Korika' and how someone should find her. He turned to the group behind him, "Look!" he yelled, "This isn't any of our business, and the girl didn't look like she wanted us to butt in. So let's drop it!"

Kagome's hands fisted as she reached his side, "Do you really want her death on your hands?"

"How would her death by on my hands? I told her not to go looking for him!"

"Yeah and you also scared her away!"

"She was well enough to shout death threats at me!"

"You knew she didn't mean it!"

"It doesn't matter cuz!…" he paused in mid-sentence and looked past Kagome. A strange look befell his face.

"What?" Kagome began, thinking she had one the argument, "Don't have anything good to say? Well than maybe…"

"No…" a serious expression fell on his face as he looked back to Kagome, "It's Naraku"

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Sorry it took so long for this chapter, but lack of reviews don't really help. I'm hoping this chapter will fix that. I think it leaves everyone with a pretty good insight of things to come.

**Please FEEL FREE to give me some advice and let me know what you think about the story so far. Good Karma should you review!**

**PLEASE REVIEW and thanks to those who do.**

**Thanks for reading and much love,**

**Merky15**


	5. The Most Shameful Memory

**The Most Shameful Memory **

His mind fell into a dark haze and feelings of regret and suffering filled him. Thoughts and feelings that he would normally not have any emotions for started to consume him. In fact, the only thing that saved him from giving into these emotions was his logical nature.

He continued to acknowledge that the only reason he was feeling such a thing was because of the demon's strange fog. In reality these events would feel meaningless to him, but the feelings were slowly becoming stronger.

A stream of memories began to run through his mind and at every one he would dismiss as worthless, and at every memory he would successfully battle off the feelings.

Naraku's incarnation stood above the dog lord. He slowly opened his eyes and stared at Sesshomaru's occasional twitching brow, but there was no significant change; not like Korika. The demon's eyes narrowed, "_He's fighting it off…"_

An angry thought crossed the demon's mind, "This is not possible…" he spoke in a soft contemplating voice, "Are you as heartless as you appear, Lord Sesshomaru?…you remain unconscious now, but even that won't last long if the spell doesn't stick…"

He knelt down next to the cool faced Sesshomaru, "Perhaps we should go deeper into your memories…"

Again more scenes of Sesshomaru's life would quickly flash through his mind, and again Sesshomaru would fight them off with his logical nature. The incarnation's foot tapped in worry. If Sesshomaru didn't fall prey to his spell soon, then he would be killed upon Sesshomaru's awakening.

The demon's foot stopped moving when Sesshomaru's fist tightened and his head gave a rough jerk to the side. "What was that…?" the incarnation smiled to himself, "I do believe I struck a nerve…let's say we go back? hmm?" he placed his palm above Sesshomaru's head, and the effective memory returned.

Sesshomaru's mind went back to a particular scene, on a particular day that he tried to forget. He stood looking about 15 or so, facing the back of another demon. The taller demon stood bleeding profusely from his arm and chest. _"Father," _he saw his younger self say, "_Do you insist on going_?"

His father answered in the same way he had remembered, "_Do you intend to stop me Sesshomaru?"_

Sesshomaru's body tensed at this. He no longer tried to tell himself that the feelings of regret weren't really there. Instead he went into a rage, because this particular scene came up, because his mind would go back to this day. His rage is what began to fuel him, but this lack of composure made the fog's effect all the more serious. His mind began to race as he saw his father transform and take off in flight… "I told him not to go…" he growled to himself. Why? Why did he have to go back to this day?

All for the sake of a human wench and a abominable half demon, he had left. A voice, or maybe a thought, came out of nowhere, "_You could have stopped him…"_

"No…" he answered back in a sweat, "…He insisted on going…he was too infatuated for that human wench to listen to reason…"

The voice spoke again, "_It was your weakness that didn't stop him…your weakness…"_

"That is not true…" his voice was now on the verge of growling. He felt the anger whelm up inside him and his demonic aura begin to roar, but sadly deep down he knew why he was immediately resorting to anger…. He knew what his anger really signified. The voice continued, "_You wanted him to die. You didn't care until it was too late. You wanted him to pay for…"_

Sesshomaru cut off the voice angrily, "SILENCE!" he growled.

The voice continued, "_…for abandoning you…for a half breed and human woman no less…"_

The incarnation smirked as he saw the demon Lord growl in anger. Sesshomaru was starting to breakout into a small sweat and his claws were digging into the soil. Should he have opened his eyes they would have been a crimson red, and his fangs were already increasing in size.

The Incarnation became relieved that Sesshomaru was being effected, but worried about something else. Sesshomaru would give into the feelings of despair soon enough; the mist was doing its job. The only problem was that the incarnation had never attempted to control a demon as powerful as Sesshomaru before. His demonic aura was steeply rising, and if this continued he could lose control of him…the results were unfathomable. Sesshomaru could awaken, or he could go on an unconscious killing spree in his demonic form.

Sesshomaru continued to fight with the voice as another memory entered. Again, the scene was all too familiar, and unwanted.

There was the burned remains of what was once a castle. The young Sesshomaru knew what had happened as he surveyed the area. He knew that somewhere in the rubble his father had died. He walked towards the area, and stopped when he entered an interesting spot. Someone had been there before, and by the way the burnt wood was tossed it appeared that someone was dug out. He recognized that their was a familiar scent there. The demon Totosai had been there.

The voice spoke, "_What was it that bothered you most; the fact that your father had died or the fact that his weapons weren't there?"_

Sesshomaru ignored the voice's comments, but they stung all the same…

"_Father…" _was the only word the young Sesshomaru spoke before he turned to leave. His mind had buzzed with questions at what was to come next, what he was to do next, but he held his composure. He left his father's death site with as much strength as he could manage…he would handle this like a true demon lord…

Sesshomaru spoke more gently to himself… " I handled his death with honor..."

"_What honor?"_ the voice mocked, "_You haveno honor, or do you not recall…?"_

Another memory filled the Dog Lord's mind. It was a dark night and it was pouring rain. The young Sesshomaru had been traveling for the past few weeks on his own. He had decided to seek out old Totosai for the Tetsaiga and Sounga.

What had happened to his father was already being spoken about throughout the demon world, and while he was now the rightful Lord to the west, there were many who didn't believe so. He was not only too young, but he was also considered to be weak due to his father's recent involvement with humans.

Still, while many did consider him to be the western lord and would fight in his honor, many would also challenge him for his title. This Sesshomaru had found to be all too common. In some cases, a few times a day, he would be challenged to a fight, but he would always walk away victorious. He was trained by his father, and while his training may not have been completed, he was still more than talented.

On this particular night Sesshomaru had recently battled a demon who challenged not only his right to rule, but his father's honor as well. The demon wasn't weak, in fact many demons thought that this demon should become the new Western Lord. It was only a matter of time before Sesshomaru ran into him. The fight was a hard one, the demon was much older and had been in far many more battles than Sesshomaru had, but despite this fact, Sesshomaru's stealth and poison proved him victor. He did not walk away without a toll however. Sesshomaru was injured, and although the wounds were not severe enough to kill him, they did need time to heal.

Sesshomaru pushed himself through the forest he was in. Blood from his chest, arm, back, and left leg left a trail as he did so. The rain covered his body, and his hair was sticking to his face and neck. He wasn't sure why he was pushing himself, but a look of naive determination was present on his face. He needed to prove that he could handle whatever came his way.

He stopped when a small cave came into view. The cave was in a solitary and desert place, and on slightly higher ground. He looked up at the cave, and noticed that he had been panting. A single shiver traced his body, the wound were taking a toll.

Sesshomaru sat against the inside wall of the cave. His injured leg was stretched out now, and as the lightening flashed he was able to see just how much blood had stained his kimono. He didn't admit it, but the injuries were hurting. he made no motions of pain however. He was the new western lord and like his father before him, he would ignore the pain.

He felt drips of water slide off of his nose and the ends of his hair. He smelt the blood that was forming into a small puddle on the ground. He looked at his bloody leg again and he ripped off the blood stained cloth to reveal the wound that was preventing him from walking as fast as he would have wanted too. He looked at the deep and long gash that was across his leg, and knew that it had just missed the bone.

He stared at it for a few seconds as if in waiting. After a few seconds of this he quickly looked up in slight shock at what he was doing. He…he had been waiting, expecting, his father to come and treat the injury as he had always done in the past. It was after a few seconds that he looked up and realized his father wasn't going to be there. Nor would his father be there to dicsipline him in his calm yet commanding way for not being more careful, nor to hand out advice about his lack in defense and strategic use of offense. No…now he was alone, and now he was expected to do this on his own. He was starting to understand what it meant to be an adult, to be a Lord. It meant to be alone.

Sesshomaru looked around the cave. He wasn't afraid of being solitary... he was angry that he was robbed. No matter he would not be able to prove his strength to his father in a final battle of power, a birthright. His father, his mentor, the one he repesected above anyother...was dead. Never again there to look upon his son. "And why?" he asked himself in a whisper, his bangs shadowed his face, "Because of them…"

He bared his fangs in a moment of anger, and grabbed the Tensaiga that rested at his hilt. The uselsess weapon his father left him. How it insulted him so. It meant nothing. He threw the sword at the opposite wall of the cave. "That is why he will no longer be here!" he growled to no one, "Because of that wench and dirty half-breed!"

In his fit of rage he felt something that he hadn't felt since he was a small child. A warmth rolled down his cheek and his fury stopped him from noticing. "It is there fault he died!" he shouted to the sound of thunder. He panted, his chest heaving in futile anger.

Understanding the futility of it all he let his head fall into the comfort of his knee, allowing soft, silent, secret tears to fall. Not a sound was made from the silent figure. His eyes closed in an attempt to stop the strange liquid, but he found that the most effort was placed in keeping the framed image of his father in his mind, and the sound of his soothing voice in his ear. If only his father were here now... what would he say? What would he expect of him?

"...father..." he slowly whispered to himself, "What do I do now?..."

The plauging voice came again, "_You were crying? And you still speak of honor? What sort of Lord are you? No wonder your father favored Inuyasha"_

Sesshomaru barely heard the voice this time, and instead he remained focused on the scene at hand. He remembered why he later developed even more hostile feelings towards the Tensaiga. He remembered why he came to despise the sword. That sword, that sword solely bared witness to his most vulnerable of moments, and what was worse was that the Tensaiga indulged it.

The memory continued. The young boy pulled his head up when a strange sound caught his ears. He was breathing in unsteady breaths, and his heart was pounding in a strange way... or rather he could hear it beat. He looked at the wall and noticed the sword his father had cursed him with was pulsing in a light blue aura. "...Tensaiga?" he forced himself to word out. The sword continued in its rhythmic soundings.

He pushed himself off of the wall and took a seat besides the fallen weapon, ignoring the pain in his leg as he did so. His heart was still beating in furry and devastation, but the tears had ceased. He reached for the Tensaiga, and pulled the sword to his lap. He continued to watch the sword give a slow and steady pulse, and the sound he found was starting to soothe him. His head was starting to grow tired, and his eyes were beginning to fall as he listened to the beating sword. He noticed something strange as he closed his eyes. He noticed the perfect sync that his heart and Tensaiga were in.

The young Sesshomaru had fallen asleep listening to the sword's lullybye. He awoke the next day with the Tensaiga at his side. His wounds were now completely healed, to his surprise, and the feelings of despair and loneliness were also gone. The sword had healed him in many ways.

He would later resort to trying to forget the memory, but the Tensaiga was what helped get Sesshomaru through one of the toughest nights in his life. The Tensaiga was what helped him come to terms with his father's death.

* * *

Sesshomaru's body was becoming more stable as the memory came to an end. The incarnation didn't understand what was going on. A frustrated look came onto his face, "How is he fighting off the spell?"

A familiar sound that Sesshomaru was concentrating on blocked away the voice and cleared away the memories from his mind. The familiar sound continued to pulsate, and guide its master to consciousness.

The incarnation chanted, and more of the fog began to surround the forest. The girl, Korika, began to make a gasping noise as this happened, and her squirming increased.

Sesshomaru's eyes quickly opened, and the nightmare demon made a move to leave. He opened his mouth to speak as he did this, perhaps to ask how, but Sesshomaru's movements would prove to be too quick. Within a second Sesshomaru's talons found their way around the demon's neck. Sesshomaru's perfect red eyed glare, sent the demon into his own type of living nightmare. The dog's grip tightened, and a gush of poison swarm into the demon's neck. It didn't take long for the poison to reach the demon's head, and when Sesshomaru casually let the demon fall its face was no longer distinguishable.

The fog began to retreat back to wherever it had came, and a quick slash with Sesshomaru's whip blew the rest away. Sesshomaru began to walk, and came to a pause when he looked at the pale and scared looking Korika.

She was still unconscious and prisoner to the spell. Sesshomaru stared at the child for a few seconds, as if contemplating what he should do. He felt the Tensaiga's pulse at his hip, and withdrew the sword. His held it over the child, and the Tensaiga began to pulsate again. As it did so, purple smoke came out of Korika's mouth. "_Tensaiga is leading her soul back…"_ Sesshomaru casually thought to himself as he saw the sword work.

He sheathed his weapon when he saw a more peaceful expression fall on the girl's face. The Tensaiga must have done its job well. He stared at the sleeping girl. She was still injured from before. He recalled the circumstances of their meeting, and every meeting after that. She was a stubborn girl seeking revenge for her father's death…

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I had to stop every few seconds when writing this chapter to compose myself. It was hard to write the crying scene, but it was such a beautiful moment. It was so sad picturing it…

**Anyway, sorry for the long wait and the cliffy, but I'll put the next chapter up soon.**

**Please send me a review. This chapter, I think, was FANTASTIC, and I don't want to sound conceited, but I think it deserves more reviews than I've been getting.**

**So, please review!**

**Thanks to all of those who do, you're the best,**

**Much Love,**

**Merky15**


	6. Awake

**Awake**

When Inuyasha arrived he quickly surveyed the area. Naraku's scent was here, or rather it had been here. He stopped and wore a solemn expression on his face. Kagome and the others arrived shortly after. "What is it Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha had ran off so quickly she had to hitch a ride on Kirara.

Inuyasha turned around to see his companions, "He's not here anymore…"

Miroku jumped off the large cat and walked towards his friend, "What do you mean?"

Inuyasha looked down at the floor besides him. Shippo leaned over Kagome to see what had once, probably, been a man. The face appeared to be burned off, revealing the skull. Even the torso seemed completely burned away. The small fox quickly scurried back into his friend, "Wh-what is that?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at his friends display, "It _was_ probably one of Naraku's incarnations. It has his stench"

Sango placed her mask on. Knowing what the cause most likely was, "Poison did this…but who could have…"

"It was Sesshomaru. No doubt about it" Inuyasha intervened.

Miroku nodded, "That was most likely why he had been surveying the area"

The others seemed relieved, but Inuyasha had something else he wasn't sharing. Kagome looked at him curiously. "That's not all is it?"

Inuyasha snapped out of his thoughts and turned to see Kagome's worried expression. "No…" he looked away again, "Korika was here also"

Everyone carried a worried expression at his words. Shippo spoke what everyone was obviously thinking. "What happened? Did Sesshomaru…"

Inuyasha slowly shook his head, trying to grasp the conclusion himself. "No…it's more likely that Sesshomaru killed the demon, and Korika just happened to be here"

Kagome stepped closer to the confused looking half demon to provide a better hypothesis, "You mean Sesshomaru had saved her?"

"I doubt it. He was probably just passing through"

Miroku looked at the surrounding damage then to Inuyasha, "Where is Korika now?"

"That's what's weird…"

"What?" Shippo encouraged. Annoyed with Inuyasha's vague answers.

"…She's not here anymore…her scent is mixed with Sesshomaru's…"

Kagome understood the confusion, "So she left with Sesshomaru?"

He shook his head, "I doubt it. I think Sesshomaru….I think he took her"

"But why?" Sango asked.

Again Inuyasha shook his head. Sesshomaru wouldn't have kidnapped her. It wasn't in his character. Then again, it also wasn't in his character to give aid to an injured or unconscious girl. Then again, having that little human brat in his company wasn't in his character either. Nohing his brother did ever made the bit of sense. He turned back to leave, "It's none of our business"

Kagome looked back to him, "What about Korika?"

He didn't pause in his pace, "The girls…she's fine"

Kagome wasn't sure why, but she trusted his words. She gave a final look at the scene before following after her companions. Had Sesshomaru saved Korika? He couldn't have been as heartless as Inuyasha made out. Maybe he did feel bad for the past…maybe.

* * *

Everything was blurry. She couldn't remember much of what had happened. She remembered a bright light that led her out of her nightmare, and she felt herself being moved. She also remembered voices. Two people were having a conversation. The first voice was a woman. She sounded smug, sophisticated in a way. "Is this what you've come here for?" she had asked.

The second person gave no response. The first voice spoke again, "It's rather big of you, I suppose. You do realize what this means don't you?"

Again he made no response. Korika laughed to herself. Obviously, he didn't know the answer. The woman spoke again, "You're leaving me responsible of one of your mistakes, should I accept it"

She finally caught the second persons voice, "I care not what becomes of her"

His voice sounded familiar, but she was too weak to remember. The woman gave a small snort at his words, "and yet your actions say otherwise…"

Again he made no response, and somehow the woman seemed used to this type of response. "What do you intend to do now?"

"What further actions are there?" he shot out in an equally smug tone, "The girl is here. Do with her as you will"

Were they talking about her? Was she the mistake? Her mind started slipping. The voices grew softer to her. Her body felt heavier. She knew it was pleading with her, calling her to sleep again.

"Don't get so agitated" the woman sounded amused, "I didn't say I wouldn't care for her. I only wish for you to acknowledge that I am doing this for…"

The woman's words soon grew completely inaudible. Korika couldn't hear anything else. Slowly her body fell into a complete sleep.

When Korika opened her eyes she was inside what she assumed to be an old shack. She tried to remember what had happened. Slowly it came back to her. There was a man…a smoke…and then…and then the nightmares…her head pulsed as she remembered. She looked down and noticed her armor was missing, as was her weapon. Her father's weapon. She gazed around the small shack, but it wasn't there. She gritted her teeth in agitation and quickly darted out of the shack. Her eyes quickly came to who she assumed was the culprit. "YOU!" she yelled daringly.

The culprit made no move, nor acknowledgment to the young girl. Korika stepped forward, ignoring the pain she felt in her chest. "Hey you!" she yelled again. Again the culprit made no move.

Korika stepped closer, staring at the culprit's back. "What? Can't you hear me? I said…"

Before she could finish her sentence a firm fist landed into her chest, causing her to slide roughly against the ground. She held her already pained stomach and looked up. The culprit stood above the young girl. Korika gritted her teeth and stared intently at the culprit's face.

The culprit, she assumed was the woman she had heard in her dream. She looked young in human years, perhaps in her early or mid 30's, but she knew that in demon years she was much older. Her eyes told that story, and also the story of her strength. Her long black hair was held up, and her blue eyes stared down in an unbreakable glare at Korika. Korika immediately looked away, unable to remain transfixed in her eye contact for very long. She looked down and saw the woman's black armor. No, her sword wasn't there.

The woman didn't speak, and Korika assumed she wasn't going to. She tried looking back up, "Where's…"

"That's none of your concern" she sternly shot back. Yes, it was the woman from her memory. She sounded strong…scary strong. Korika didn't speak for a second, but forced herself up. "It is my business" she spoke low, but her intensity was displayed.

"Oh?" the woman asked in a curious way, that invited a response. Korika held her side, "It was my father's sword, and…"

The woman headed back towards the shack, "A sword is not a child's play thing"

"I'm not a child!"

The woman didn't answer and disappeared inside the shack. Korika wasn't sure about what was going on. The woman had her armor and her weapon, but wasn't moved to return them. The woman had ignored Korika's outburst and disappeared inside the shelter. Maybe the woman wanted her to follow. No she wanted her to calm down and then follow…for whatever reason Korika decided it was better to listen to this woman. She took a deep breath and lugged herself back to the shack.

The woman was pouring herself tea as Korika entered. The young girl had worn a scowl on her face as she faced the demon. Obviously, bad manners resulted in a beating, so she made no other moves. The woman smirked at this, "You may sit girl"

Korika obeyed and plopped herself opposite the woman. The woman just finished pouring herself a cup, and moved to the second. She motioned for the girl to take it. Korika nodded and did so. It was quiet for a moment. Korika looked into the full cup and then to the woman, "Where is my father's sword?"

She made no answer. Korika tried again, "Where is…"

"I believe" the woman quickly and sternly cut off, "We already covered that. I find no pleasure in repeating myself"

So, she was gonna play this game? Korika nodded and looked back up with a slightly smug smirk. She'd have to out smart her then. "Where is my father's armor?"

"With the sword" she answered with a small shrug. Obviously aware of the girl's intentions.

Damn she was good. Korika looked back into her cup, "…and why is it there?"

"For the same reason"

"And what reason is that?"

"Again, that question has already been answered"

Now she was getting agitated. "What right do you have to make such laws?"

"Laws are they?"

"Yes, laws!"

She smirked at the statement and gently rose, grabbing the large spear that laid at her side. She headed towards the door, "You will stay here and rest"

Korika placed the tea down and roughly rose, "I will do no such thing. You will return my weapon and armor, now!"

The woman looked back with a glare fixed glare at the girl's comment. "You will lay down. Whether it is by choice or force is up to you" she didn't need to yell to get her point across. She left the shack, and Korika stood there. Her hands fisted angrily at her side. She went back to the small futon.

She wasn't staying because she was told too, she reasoned with herself. She was only staying because that stupid woman had her father's sword, and she wasn't going to leave without it, even if it meant playing her stupid game for a little while longer.

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Sorry this took forever but I was lacking inspiration. I had ZERO reviews last time. I personally liked the last chapter, but what can you do?

**Anyway, I placed the next chapter up anyway. I have about two more chapters after this, so if you guys could try to do your best to review I would really appreciate it. I mean it's not like I'm asking you guys to donate money…although…no, I'll just settle for reviews for now.**

**Thanks and Much Love,**

**Merky15**


	7. Learning the Truth

**Learning the Truth**

Korika awoke the next morning feeling slightly better than she had. She noticed that her chest was wrapped, surely to set and mend the broken bones. She wondered if it was the woman or not. She shook her head. She knew that it was. Again she forced herself off the futon and returned outside.

The woman was staring off into the vast forest again, but Korika made sure not to repeat the same mistakes as yesterday. She stopped when she reached an appropriate but safe distance. The woman didn't speak right away and didn't send a glance of acknowledgement towards the girl.

Korika crossed her arms in aggravation. "Excuse me…" she managed to choke out, without managing to stop her growls. The woman gave a hidden smirk at the fisty nature of the girl. It was familiar to her. "You should still be resting"

"I am fine"

"Your movements speak otherwise"

"What do you want?"

At this the woman turned to see Korika. She slowly eyed the child up and down, her motives all the time were completely unreadable. "That…is none of your concern" She turned back to look at the forest ahead of her, "...Not at the moment"

"Not my concern? You are all but holding me captive here"

The woman smirked again at her word choice. Her amusement barely present in her words. "Captive? You are free to leave"

"You know I won't!" Korika snapped, "Not without my weapon and armor"

"Well in that case, I suggest you return to your resting" the woman sent a final look to the girl, before once again looking back ahead.

Korika felt her fists tighten at the woman's aloof nature. She gritted her teeth thinking of a comeback. How did she even end up in this situation in the first-...? Her anger was temporarily placed on hold as a thought entered the girl's head, or rather a question. "…how did I get here?"

"What was that?" the woman asked, despite hearing her correctly the first time.

"I said, how did I get here?" Korika continued after noticing the woman's silence. "I was nowhere near here. There was a demon…and a strange smoke…then…there were…"

The woman's position hadn't changed. "what?" she asked in a soft inquisitive manner. Korika looked up from her memories. "…nothing…I was in a forest searching for a demon, before I fell unconscious. How is it that I came here?"

"You ask too many questions" the woman answered simply

"That's because I'm not getting any answers!"

"I see you have quite the temper" the woman fully turned around in a sophisitcated gesture to see Korika's soured expression. She looked into the gril's eyes. There was a great deal of anger there for a child so young. "…why is that?"

"Why is what?" she curiously spat out

The woman walked towards the young girl, whose expression and movements hadn't faltered. She looked her up and down a few more times before speaking again, "…Why do you search for Sesshomaru?"

The girl's body immediately tightened at the mention of his name. Her stance quickly shifted into a defensive position as well, ready to fight if need be. The woman silently noted her quick actions. Korika's fisted hand was held tightly in front of her. "Do you know him? Do you know Sesshomaru?" Korika yelled.

The woman made no answer or movement of any kind. Her direct indifference infuriating the young girl yet again. It was the very way that that bastard dog would treat her. "Answer me! Answer me or I will have to kill you!"

"Is that so?" the woman spoke out in a bored fashion, "How do you intend to accomplish such a task?"

Korika's teeth gritted. Damn…she had forgot she was missing her weapon. She responded instead with a small growl. A different tactic was needed. "Where is he?"

"How should I know?" the woman spoke with an indifferent shrug, "He has the habit of going off on his own. He's not much on friendly visits. Strictly business that one"

"Well…when's the last time you spoke with him?"

A strange smile fell on her face, "Let's just say he needed my help to fix a problem"

"DAMMIT, CUT IT OUT!"

"Oh?" she asked curiously, "What would that be?"

"Stop acting so damn illusive! Who are you? How do you know Sesshomaru? And how the hell did I get here?"

The woman turned away yet again, "You ask too many questions"

"ANSWER ME!" Korika ran towards the woman with her fist drawn. She wasn't sure what she was planning on doing, but at this point she didn't care. Before Korika could make contact the woman was gone. Korika looked around in a panic, before she felt a hand around her neck.

The woman lifted a squirming Korika up with a single hand. While Korika felt the sharp claws that were an inch of pressure away from breaking her skin and the chilly glare the woman's eyes cast, there wasn't fear in Korika's eyes. If anything there was only a futile anger. The woman waited for Korika's body to give up its fight. "…it will do nothing for you"

"What?" Korika choked out.

"You use blind furry as a weapon. Despite what blade you carry, that is all you fight with" she let the girl fall to the ground.

Korika watched as the woman walked away. She called behind her as she entered the hut, "You may think it's ambition, but it will surly lead to your death…or maybe you're already aware of that"

Korika's looked on in shock for a few seconds. How could she have known? For years Korika wanted to find Sesshomaru and if she died in the process it didn't matter, but how could she have known? She wasn't an ordinary demon…who was she?

Korika waited until the sun was gone and the moon was well overhead before she returned to the hut. Somehow this woman had caught her interest. She knew something…maybe where Sesshomaru was.

The woman didn't say anything as she entered the room. She only concentrated on the small amount of tea ahead of her. After a few more minutes of silence Korika found the courage to speak, "…you seem to know more than you're letting on…"

"Do I?" she asked in her bored fashion.

"Surely you must know that I intend to hunt down and kill Sesshomaru…even…" she looked up, "…even if it means losing my own life"

"…well isn't that foolish of you"

"And why is that?" she was slowly becoming irritated, but decided to try and keep her anger in check.

"What can you accomplish if you're dead? It seems to me that you are simply giving up for the wrong reasons"

"What right circumstance is their for giving up?" she spat.

"…you'd be surprised…revenge is a very tricky thing. Many people seek revenge for the wrong reasons without being aware of it"

Korika's fist's met the wooden floor, "SESSHOMAR MURDERED MY FATHER!…what better reason is there…"

"Well, that does sound noble" she sarcastically smirked, "But is that the true reason?"

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe you seek revenge because you are weak. Too weak to deal with the pain of your father's death, and so you've decided to seek out Sesshomaru as a way to cope. Your death is inconsequential. I'd think that if you're solely doing this as a way to punish Sesshomaru, you wouldn't stop until he was made to suffer…but you don't seem that cold…even if you pretend to be…"

"You don't know what you're talking about…" she spat, averting her eyes to the opposite wall.

"No?" she smiled very slightly, "…I think you're tired. You've always known that you'd never accomplish your goal, but you believed you were honor bound to try…again your rage controls your actions…foolish…"

"…I won't stop…" she whispered, "…until one of us dies…"

Another few moments of silence went by, "I suppose I could answer one of your questions…the answer being Sesshomaru?"

Korika looked at the woman with a dumbfounded expression. What question did the woman just answer? "Does he have my weapon?"

"…no…"

This woman wasn't Sesshomaru, and Sesshomaru sure as hell didn't bring her here and-…The color faintly left the girl's face…

The woman noticed the change in the girls expression and gave her a small nod. Korika's eyes started to send a cold glare to the floor, "Why…why would…that bastard…why would he bring me…" she looked to the woman. "Then you work for that bastard!"

The woman let out a snort of amusement, "I work for no one"

She rose, her fists to her side, "Then why would he bring me here?"

"Why does he do anything?" she shrugged. Noticing the girl wasn't satisfied with her answer she thought of a better one, "…I suppose you could say that Sesshomaru always tries to act with a sense of honor"

"HONOR?" she yelled out, "There's nothing honorable about him! Was it honorable how he killed my father?"

The woman looked at the girl in an inquisitive manner. "Tell me girl…when the demon had you under his spell did you relive that night?"

Korika was slightly taken aback by this question. What did it matter? "…y-yes…but what does that…"

"Is it safe to say that you continuously relive that night?"

Korika's silence answered the woman's thoughts. She continued, "In your mind you have created the image of your father as being the victim, slashed down by the villainous Sesshomaru"

"What of it? That is what happened! I was there! I saw my father die!"

"True, I was not there…but since the scene is so perfectly laid in your head, perhaps you can answer me a question"

"…what?"

"Where was the kill?"

She understood the question. It was how warriors spoke about the cause of death, "…his stomach…"

"When did you arrive at the scene?"

Her eyes tightened in recollection, "When…when Sesshomaru…was standing over my father…"

"Do you recall how your father was positioned?"

"What does it matter!"

"Do you recall how your father was positioned?" she asked with a sterner tone. Korika forced herself to remember her father's body at the moment of his death, "yes…"

"What can you tell me about his mouth?…"

"…It was opened…"

"I see…" she returned to her tea.

"What does any of this matter?"

"It matters quite severely. What can you tell me of your father's behavior prior to his death?"

"…he had been colder…more aloof I suppose…there seemed to be something on his mind…"

"His scent?"

"His what?"

"Scent. Did he not smell differently?"

"How would I know? I'm not a dog!"

"I suppose not…" she smirked. "But…it is as Sesshomaru told me"

"Told you? What did he tell you?" she yelled.

The woman placed her drink down. "I can not tell as you are now…"

"WHAT?"

"It is as I said previously, you are being ruled by your rage. Telling you know would only send you into hysterics, and I don't care to deal with it"

"If you know something about my father's death I suggest you tell me" she spoke in a quiet threatening manner. The woman evaluated her for a small moment. "…in the morning…" she rose and headed to the door, "you will wait till then"

Korika watched as the woman disappeared from view. For some reason she decided to listen to her words. She seemed to be doing it for her own benefit in a strange way. It had been awhile since Korika had recalled the feeling…having someone watch over you.

Korika awoke the following morning, and while she didn't want to admit it, she felt a considerable amount better than she had the previous night. She remembered how her father would say, "Things always look better in the morning"

She exited to see the woman standing in the same position she had the other days. It looked like she was always in deep thought. Like there was always something important on her mind and disturbing her concentration would bring about dire consequences…or in her case a look of annoyance. "…it's morning now…" Korika managed out.

The woman's positioned hadn't changed, "…so it is…"

"When can we speak about my father?"

The woman noticed that Korika's voice was calmer than any of the other nights. A faint frown edged on the woman's face. She knew it wouldn't last. "It's a simple enough explanation"

Korika walked to the woman's abrupt side, "Then quit your stalling"

She could have sworn that a smirk fell on the woman's face, but if it had it would have only been for a brief moment. The woman looked up as she began to speak, thinking of her words before they left her mouth. "Sesshomaru was indeed the one who had killed your father…that much is true…but the circumstances for his death are not as simple…"

_

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_

Sesshomaru had entered into a large room. It wasn't the most lavish, but still was obviously part of an expensive mansion

. _The woman alone had been inside. She turned her head to see the younger demon. "Well isn't this a surprise"_

_Sesshomaru made no comment, and yet she knew that something had to of been on his mind. "Well, I can assume that you aren't here to visit. You never are" she shrugged. _

"…_it is of no consequence…"_

"_Well isn't this strange. If I didn't know any better I'd say that you were being coy. It looks as if there is something on your mind…troubling you…"_

_He gave a small snort, "Don't be ridiculous. As if it would be of any concern to me"_

"_Oh? Is that so?" she asked with a clever smirk, "Then why have you come?"_

"_I thought so" she thought to herself as she looked down at his sleeve. On it there was blood. Not his own, but from another demon. She noticed it upon his first arrival, and while he wouldn't admit it, she knew it was intentionally left there. He wanted her to see it. He wanted her to ask about it. "Fine" she thought, "I'll play along"_

_She looked back to the younger demon, "What is that on your sleeve? A prize from your last victim?"_

"…_there was a demon. He was being possessed by a parasitic leech"_

_She knew of the demon. In fact she was the one who had taught Sesshomaru about if, if she wasn't mistaken. It entered into a demon by mouth, and made its nest in the stomach, thus controlling its prey. "I see. it attacked you?"_

"_It attempted to make me its newest host"_

_She gave a small nod of understanding, "Nothing could have been done I suppose. The leech must have been close to absorbing the rest of the demon's life energy, and was going to latch onto another victim…"_

"_I am aware"_

_She looked at his expression. There was more he wanted to say. "What happened after the demon was killed?"_

_He looked to the side as if uninterested, "The demon's daughter arrived…spewing nonsense of revenge…"_

_She looked up in thought. So that's what this visit was about. He must have felt guilty at killing the girl's father, even if he wasn't aware of it. "Figures" she thought, "He holds his father in the highest admiration"_

_She looked back to Sesshomaru, "I assume you didn't tell her of the details"_

"_For what purpose?"_

"_Perhaps to stop her from seeking revenge?" she spoke as if it was obvious._

"_The details are meaningless. Her father fell dead by my own hands, the circumstances make no difference" he headed back towards the door. He pushed the blinds to the side, "Her actions are no concern of mine"_

_The woman watched as he left the room. She wore a slighlty sadened expression at his leave. "So" she thought, "He's thinking about his own father's death…the circumstances are meaningless…"_

* * *

"YOU'RE LYING!" Korika yelled after hearing the story. The woman made no answer. She knew the girl would get like this. "MY FATHER WOULD NOT ALLOW HIMSELF TO GET POSSESSED!"

"Look at the evidence girl…"

Korika shook her head as tears fell down her face. "NO, NO, NO!" she shook her head fiercely, "IT'S NOT TRUE! YOU'RE LYING!"

The woman's hands grasp both sides of Korika's shoulders and gave a single shake for attention. "Korika!" she spoke as she knelt to the girl's level, "Korika! Look at me!"

Korika fell silent and stared into the demon's eyes. There was a fierce seriousness there, the usual for the woman, but somewhere there was a strand of kindness…somewhere.

"Your father's mouth was open because the leech was attempting to make the switch into Sesshomaru's mouth. Sesshomaru attacked the stomach in order to kill the parasite. If you had a keen nose you would have been able to smell the scent of dying flesh coming from your father. Korika…it's true"

Korika's mouth was slightly agape as she stared at the woman…and somehow…somehow she knew she was speaking the truth. The woman stood from Korika, still noticing the stream of silent tears. "Asking you to get over your hatred of Sesshomaru now is foolish. Whether or not you hate him is no concern of mine" the woman looked to the side, "Finding acceptance in truth however is something you must strive for. Korika…you must move on with your life"

Korika felt her fists tighten at her side. The woman wasn't asking of a simple task. "…I…I hate him…" she looked to the ground, "he left me to believe…to believe that he murdered my father…"

"Then you do not agree with the insignificance of circumstance?"

"No…that's a foolish thing to say!" she spat

The woman nodded, "I agree"

The woman knew why Sesshomaru had said it. In his own way he was still striving to overcome the circumstances of his own father's death, which he believed to be the fault of his half brother and that human woman. If he believed in the importance of circumstance at the hand's of killing Korika's father he would be considered a hypocrite, dishonorable, and the majority of his reasons for hating his brother would be void…at least in Sesshomaru's eyes.

"You should understand his reasoning" the woman began, "In his own way he was trying to act honorable…he was actually trying to help you"

"Help me! How could that be helping me!"

"…he wanted to take responsibility for taking your father's life…he wanted to give you a reason…something to direct your hatred towards" she shrugged, "But that is giving him too much credit I suppose. He mainly did it for himself. He wanted to act in what he thought an honorable way. He didn't want to run from his…mistakes"

She remembered hearing that word, mistake, when she was slipping out of consciousness. Was the woman trying to say that in some way Sesshomaru felt guilty about killing her father, and as retribution let her live thinking he killed her father?

"I think he realized his mistake when you were under that demon's trance" the woman started, "He saw that you only lived consumed by the memory, and were never able to overcome it…"

Korika looked down. She remembered hearing the woman say that she was going to be responsible for Sesshomaru's mistake…She meant her. "…so…he brought me to you…" she looked to the woman, "…you trained him…didn't you?"

The woman looked off for a moment before nodding, "Yes…"

Korika listened to the silence…it must have been what the woman was listening to the past few days. The tranquility of silence. "…you still have my weapon and armor"

"I do…and my decision stands firm. They are not meant to be in the hand's of an untrained child"

"…when do you intend to return them to me?"

The woman smirked, "When you prove otherwise"

"…perhaps you will be able to help me with that"

"Oh?" she asked curiously, "How do you mean?"

"…You seem strong, and if you indeed were the one who trained Sesshomaru…train me"

"That's quite a lot you ask" she shrugged, "How do I know you'll be able to last?"

"You wouldn't have taken my weapons and kept me here, if you thought otherwise. Sesshomaru left me here, and you agreed to take me under your care, didn't you?"

The woman smirked at the young girl's words. She was a clever one. The woman slowly began to walk off. Korika stared blankly as the woman called back to the girl, "Once you prove that you are worthy, I'll return your belongings"

A determined smile fell on the girl's lips. She nodded to herself and ran after the woman, "Where are we going?"

"…home" she spoke shortly.

"home?" Korika repeated. She had forgotten what it felt like to hear the word…she hadn't had a home in years. She looked back at the small shack. "Isn't…isn't that your home?"

An amused snort escaped the demon's lips. Korika took that as meaning, no. The woman continued in her pace, "We are headed north"

Korika nodded. She looked up as a thought entered her head. She felt stupid for not noticing it before. It was obvious. "What's your name?"

The demon stopped, and looked down at the curious girl, "…Ukimara"

"…Master…Ukimara" the girl tried out to herself. She looked back up to see her master already heading off. The girl gave a weak smile to herself and followed after her.

She wouldn't be ale to get over her feelings about Sesshomaru, even if Ukimara seemed to believe that Sesshomaru was trying to act in everyone's best interest. In her opinion he seemed an arrogant fool. She looked back to her new master. She was strong, wise, and seemed to know most anything. But what drew her to Ukimara was that she trusted her, a feeling that had been alien to her ever since she had lost her father. Maybe she was still very young, and Ukimara wanted to remind her of that. Revenge wasn't the road she needed to take, nor was the road of forgiveness. Korika was a young stubborn girl who needed the guiding hand of a home.

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That is the end of "The Color Crimson's Curse"

. **I liked how it came out. And for those of you who are aware…I had to add Ukimara in the story…she just sort of fit. What I liked is that you didn't need to be aware of her, to get the story. She meshed well.**

**Anyway, Ukimara is a character from my story, "Training From Father's Greatest Enemy". Which is one of my favorites. **

**Also, I'm going to be adding Korika into the "Training From Father's Greatest Enemy" sequel; "The Demon Within" if you are interested in catching that. **

**Thanks for all of the reviews. I appreciate all the readers I got, and I am looking forward to hopefully hearing from everybody at the last chapter. Even if you're reading this years and years later, please send me a review, community adds are also appreciated.**

**Again, thanks to everyone. I hope to here from you all again. And as always:**

**Much Love,**

**Merky15**


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